Walt Disney World has announced a 2026 deadline for theme park attractions, including the return of two popular Magic Kingdom rides and changes to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, including the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.
The listing does not include a specific opening date. We are in a broader era that marks the season when companies expect the next experience.
“We are excited to debut newly revitalized experiences throughout the resort as we continue our long-term expansion development,” WDW President Jeff Vahr said Wednesday via his social media accounts.
Disney announced that the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin will reopen at Magic Kingdom in the spring after a “total renovation.” The Frontierland Coaster, which opened in 1979, has been closed since early January. The loading area was surrounded by a construction wall for several months and later merged with the American River site.
Few details have been released about potential changes to the ride, with the main focus being on a cave with a glow-in-the-dark pool and a “terrifying roar from the depths” mentioned on the official Disney Parks blog.
There’s a lot more to be said about the changes to Buzz that were first announced in March. Dark ride passengers can expect a new ride with a video monitor for score updates, a handheld blaster with a color-coordinated beam, and updated targets. Additionally, the Tomorrowland ride will feature a new robot named Buddy. The attraction, which opened in 1998, has been closed since early August for renovations.
Disney scraps Buzz Lightyear ride, adds new twist
The original Aerosmith version of the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster will be available at Disney’s Hollywood Studios until sometime in the spring, the company says. In the summer, it will become known as “Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets.” These changes were first shown in November 2024.
The exterior of the building, complete with a giant guitar, will feature psychedelic paint, and we know there will be an emphasis on the backstory of the Electric Mayhem band and G-Force Records under new management. According to the park’s blog, the scenery along the ride route will have a “Muppet-esque twist.”
Meanwhile, the Walt Disney Studios area of the park (formerly known as the Animation Courtyard) will be adding “Disney Junior Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live!” In the summer. This show can currently be seen at Disneyland in California. And later in the summer, “The Magic of Disney Animation” area will open, featuring a Mary Blair-inspired “Wonderland-inspired” playground and new character greeting spaces.
A new Millennium Falcon mission related to the movie The Mandalorian and Grogu: Smuggler’s Run will also be coming to DHS’ Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge next summer.
Epcot will be introducing the latest animatronics from Frozen: Ever After in February. Look for new expressions of Anna, Elsa and Kristoff. Disney says the park’s latest installment, Soarin’ Across America, designed to celebrate the United States’ 250th anniversary, will debut by Memorial Day.
Orlando theme park has more animatronics, making it more realistic
Disney World announced Tuesday that Animal Kingdom will be home to the characters Bluey and Bingo starting in the summer of 2026.
It’s true: Bluey is coming to Disney World
Finally, Level 99, an interactive gaming venue, is scheduled to open at Disney Springs in 2026. The project, announced in February, will operate from the former home of NBA Experience, which closed during the 2020 pandemic shutdown and never reopened. It is also the site of the former DisneyQuest attraction, which closed in 2017 and the building was eventually demolished.
Additional construction projects are underway at Disney World, but are not expected to be completed until 2026 or later. Among them are Magic Kingdom’s villain-themed land and Cars attraction, Animal Kingdom’s Tropical America area (think Encanto and Indiana Jones), and Monsters, Inc. Landing at Hollywood Studios.
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